Novel Borrelia Species Causes Lyme Borreliosis in the U.S.

Abstract

Of the many genospecies of Borrelia burgdorferi that cause Lyme borreliosis, only B. burgdorferi sensu stricto had been known in the U.S. Mayo Clinic investigators now describe a new genospecies in the upper Midwest. Among >100,000 routine clinical specimens submitted from 2003 to 2014, polymerase-chain-reaction targeting of the oppA1 gene of B. burgdorferi sensu lato identified 6 specimens (5 blood and 1 synovial fluid, collected after 2011) …